Exhaust heating or low-pressure system.



No.785,473. I PATENTED MAR. 21, 1905.

- R. B. BROWN.

EXHAUST HEATING 0E LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 9. 1903.

2 SHEETS- SHEET l.

PATENTED MAR. 21, 1905. R. B. BROWN. EXHAUST HEATING OR LOW PRESSURESYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 9,1903.

1 2 SHEETS-SHEET '2,

UNTTED STATES Patented March 21, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

EXHAUST HEATING OR LOW-PRESSURE SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 785,473, dated March21, 1905. Application filed March 9, 1903. Serial No. 146,803.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD B. BROWN, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Exhaust Heating orLow-Pressure Systems,of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists of a novel exhaust heating or low-pressure systemwherein I provide means for preventing pounding in the coil or radiatorsor pipes.

It further consists in providing a watercolumn for each coil orradiator.

It further consists in forming a suction to assist in drawing steam intoa coil or radiator.

It further consists in providing means whereby the air and water areseparately discharged from each coil or radiator and from the system.

It further consists in providing a trap for each coil or radiator.

It further consists of novel details of construction, all as will behereinafter set forth.

Figure 1 represents an elevation showing an exhaust heating orlow-pressure system embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents asectional view of a portion thereof, and Fig. 3 represents a viewshowing a water-regulator employed in connection with the latter.

Heretofore in many heating systems great difliculty has been experiencedfrom the fact that an excess back pressure on the engine occurs, the badeffects of which are evident, and in addition considerable force isrequired at varying times in order to properly direct the exhaust to thevarious parts of the system, while at the same time pounding occurs inthe pipes and considerable difliculty has been met with in removingwater which accumulates in the system, this being heretoforeaccomplished by the use of a suctionpump. My system overcomes thesedifficulties by providing a main riser from the engine, providing adrain therefor with a trap therein leading to the hot-well, said mainriser being suitably connected with the various coils or radiators ofthe system and having an air-vent open at all times to the atmosphere,said main riser being also provided with a valve controlling the outletof the said riser, said valve being adjustable to the desiredpressurethat is, can be set at any predetermined pressure to exhaust tothe atmosphere. In practice this valve is set a few pounds above thepressure intended to be carried in the riser. Between each of the coilsor radiators and the main riser is a water-column formed bycondensation, which communicates with a manifold which is suitablyconnected With pipes of the coils or radiators, while at the oppositeend of said pipes is a drip-manifold, from the upper portion of whichleads a pipe serving as an airexhaust, while from the lower portion ofsaid drip-manifold is a drip-pipe for the water, which connects with themain drip. This latter is in communication with the hot-well. while itwill be seen that the air from each radiator can pass upwardly throughthe main drip-pipe and out of the air-vent while the water ofcondensation passes from the drippipe to the main drip, whence it isconducted to the hot-well, it being noticed that the system has a slightpitch toward the main drip, whereby all the water of condensation willbe conducted thereunto and to the hotwell by gravity, it being furtherunderstood that by the employment of the water-column, which has asuitable valve, the water serves a double purpose of driving before itany air which may be collected in the radiators and at the same timereduces the pressure in said columns to draw or suck in the steam fromthe main riser.

To the above end, therefore, 1 designates the engine of my system andfrom which leads the pipe 2, said pipe being connected, by means of atrap 3 and pipe 4, with the interior of the hot-well 5. The pipe 2connects with the main riser 6, which has a pipe 7 in communicationtherewith at a point above the topmost coil or radiator, said pipe beingin communication with the pipe 8, which is also in communication withthe pipe 9, which discharges to the atmosphere, the main riser 6 beingalso open to the atmosphere at its end and has a valve 11, which can beadjusted to operate at any predetermined pressure, so that the steam canexhaust directly to the atmosphere, it being understood, however, thatthe air-vent is always open.

12 designates a pipe which is in suitable communication with theinterior of the main riser at a point some distance above that withwhich it communicates with the manifold 13 of a coil or radiator 14,said manifold being in direct communication with the pipes of said coilor radiator, while the valve 15 is provided in said pipe 12 in order toopen and close the same, it being understood that the said pipe 12serves to hold a water-column when the valve 15 is closed, which willalso serve to assist in preventing any steam from passing therethroughto the valve 15.

16 designates a drip-manifold suitably connected with the opposite endsof the pipes of the coil or radiator 14, said drip-manifold 16 having apipe 17 of small size leading therefrom at substantially its upperportion and communicating with the main drip 18, a suitable pipe 19leading from the substantially lower portion of the drip-manifold andhaving a trap and being in communication also with the main drip 18, thelatter having a pipe 20 communicating with the interior of the hot-well5. The hot-well is likewise provided with the air-outlet 21 and with anoverflow 22 and also with a pipe 23, which leads to a suitable pump (notshown) for the purpose of pumping water into the boilers.

The operation of the parts as described will be readily understood, andas the operation of all of the coils or radiators is the same it hasonly been deemed necessary to describe one of these. I have shown twocoils or radiators in different stories of a building; but it will beevident, however, that any number of coils or radiators may be employedand that the system may be extended to any height or extended over anyarea, as desired.

The valve 15 being closed and the engine 1 started, the exhausttherefrom will pass into the pipe 2, and any water of condensationwillpass into the trap 3 and after filling same to the hot-well 5, the trapacting as a seal to prevent passage of steam thereinto. The steam passesinto the main riser 6 and upwardly, the air passing through the pipes 7,8, and 9 to the atmosphere. The pipes 8, 24, and 9 are ordinarily ofrelatively small size. In practice the loss of heat therethrough isnegligible. By opening the valve 15 the water which is in the pipe 12,forming the water-column, will pass into the manifold 13 and from thenceinto the pipes of the coil or radiator 14 and will force the water whichis remaining therein before it, while at the same time the passage ofthe water from the pipe 12 will reduce the pressure therein, which willdraw or suck in the steam from the main riser. Thus the water and theair before it will be forced from the pipes of the coil or radiator 14without occasioning any pounding, the pitch of said pipes assisting inthis operation. It is evident that the flow of steam thus set up in theradiator 14 will be maintained in the usual manner by the pressure ofsteam in the circulating system. The water of condensation will passinto the pipe 19, in which there is a trap which prevents the escape ofthe steam therethrough, the water, however, passing into the main drip18 and through the pipe 20 back to the hot-well 5, the air which is inthe .pipes 14 passing upwardly through the pipe 17 into the main drip 18and will pass upwardly therethrough and out through the pipe 24 to thepipe 9 into the atmosphere, it being seen that the main drip serves thedouble purpose of carrying off the air from the coils or radiators andcarrying down the water of condensation therefrom. Attention is alsocalled to the fact that the pipes 8 and 24, which communicate with eachother, as well as all the substantially horizontal pipes of the system,have a slight pitch toward the main drip 18, so that all the water ofcondensation will be directed to the hot-well. In this way the purewater is collected in the hot-well 5 and conducted therefrom through thepipe 23 by the suitable pump (not shown) back to the boiler 1 and whichcan be used over again. In order to provide or keep a uniform orsubstantially uniform level of liquid in the tank 5, [provide meansconnected with the said hot-well or water-tank 5 for this purpose. Asthe device is fully described in United States Patent No. 407,991,granted to me July 30, 1889, it is unnecessary to herein particularlyexplain it.

By the term low pressure wherever used I desire to be understood asmeaning a pressure somewhat above that of the atmosphere and such as iscommonly produced by the exhaust of a steam-engine.

It is obvious that the pipes 8, 9, 17, and 24, which I have described asair-pipes, are of relatively small diameter, so that they are notadapted to pass steam, at least in any noticeable or disadvantageousvolume. It is found in practice that the pipes 8 and 9, which leaddirectly from the main riser 6, permit the exit of air, and therebysecure a rapid passage of steam to all the radiators when the engine isstarted up after an interval, whereby a building is quickly heated.After the risers and the radiators are full of steam no perceptibleamount escapes from the pipe 9, it being possibly held in check by theglobules of water of condensation which collect in the air-pipes andprevent escape of steam.

It will be evident that various changes may be made by those skilled inthe art which may come within the scope of my invention, and 1 do not,therefore, desire to be limited in every instance to the exactconstruction herein shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an exhaust or low-pressure heating system, a main riser, aradiator, a pipe forming a communication between said riser and saidradiator, said pipe opening into said riser some distance above saidradiator and means for closing the same adjacent said radiator wherebythe water of condensation is collected in said pipe and will act toreduce the pressure in said pipe, to draw in the steam, when saidclosing means is opened.

2. In an exhaust or low-pressure heating system, a drip-pipe, aradiator, an air-exit pipe leading from the upper portion of saidradiator and adapted to discharge into said drip-pipe above saidradiator and a water-exit pipe having a trap therein, said water-pipeleading from the lower portion of said radiator and adapted to dischargeinto said drippipe below said radiator, whereby the air and water arepositively discharged separately, from said radiator and from thesystem.

3. In an exhaust or low-pressure heating system, a main riser,aradiator, a pipe forming a communication between said riser and saidradiator, means for closing said pipe adjacent said radiator whereby thewater of condensation is collected in said pipe and will act to reducethe pressure in said pipe and draw in the steam when said closing meansis open, a drip-pipe, an air-exhaust pipe leading from the upper portionof said radiator adapted to discharge into said drip-pipe above saidradiator and a water-exit pipe having a trap therein, said waterpipeleading from the lower portion of said radiator and adapted to dischargeinto said drip-pipe below said radiator.

4:. In an exhaust or low-pressure heating system, a radiator,steam-admission means substantially at one end thereof, a drip-pipe,separate air and water exit pipes from said radiator to said drip-pipe,said air-pipe leading upward from the upper portion and said water-pipeleading downward from the lower portion of said radiator whereby the airand water are separately discharged from said radiator and the system,and a trap in said water-pipe.

RICHARD B. BROWN. Witnesses:

JOHN A. WIEDERSHEIM, WM. CANER VVIEDERSEIM.

